The stars had barely faded from the velvet sky when the Heavenly Spear Alliance burst into color. Crimson lanterns floated in the air, each glowing with ethereal flame. Phoenix-feather banners unfurled along the main avenue leading to the Celestial Feast Hall, their stitching laced with threads of spiritual gold.
Tonight, it was not just a celebration of a breakthrough.
It was a homecoming.
Su Leilong stood at the grand gates, dressed in imperial violet robes woven from cloud-stitched silk, his posture regal and grounded. At his side, Long Xuemei, dressed in a gown of starlight silver, beamed with pride, her eyes never straying far from the golden path leading to the inner sanctum of the banquet hall.
Su Mengtian walked beside them, dressed in simple robes, yet surrounded by an aura that none could ignore. The celestial harmony within him was subtle yet sovereign, like a star that refused to dim even among constellations.
As he entered the hall, thunderous applause greeted him.
"Mengtian!"
"The prodigy returns!"
"May his name echo in the Nine Heavens!"
Elders raised their cups, disciples stood with wide eyes, and the hallmasters offered respectful nods. Plates of celestial cuisine hovered midair, blessed by formation arrays: spirit beast roasts, jadeflower dumplings, sun dew nectar, and even rare phoenix-fruit wine.
Bai Yueying sat beside Su Mengtian, refusing to smile too widely, yet her shoulder rested against his from time to time.
Xu Tian, observing from a distance, allowed himself a rare sip of fine wine. He watched not as a guardian of Kun Island, but as a witness to history.
"It is beginning," he murmured to himself. "The real tale."
The Next Morning,
Within the heart of the Heavenly Spear Alliance, the State of Records Council Hall stood tall. Its walls were lined with banners of the Ten Halls and eight major departments. Sunlight filtered through dome-glass panels etched with runes of judgment and clarity.
Seated within were the pillars of the Alliance:
The Ten Hallmasters: Ji Yeyan, Rao Lin, Inara, Baojin, Kai Chan, Xiaoyun, Lan Qiu, Yue Mei, Xuan Le, and Kaisen.
Director Liao Yun - Pavilion of Mission, Director Elira Sorn- Battle Arena, Director Bael Trin- Library of Treasures, Director Maerin Delk- Tower of Order and Judgment, Director Yune Yashara- Sanctuary of Beasts, Director Miren- Shrine of Echoing Souls, Elder Phairos Den - Sanctuary of Eternal Remembrance, Director Sorin Ma- Truehold Financial Bastion.
Su Mengtian entered last, robes untouched by dust, his steps measured but resonant with clarity.
"Thank you for assembling so swiftly," Su Mengtian began, taking the central seat prepared for him. "Today marks not a decision from above, but a decision we make as one Alliance."
He gestured, and a projection rune formed in midair.
Two emblems rotated slowly before the council:
One, shaped like a blacksmith's hammer striking the stars: **Heaven Forging Doctrine Department.**
The other, a spiraling eye peering into eternity: **Ethereal Inquiry Department.**
Murmurs rippled through the room.
Hallmaster Baojin narrowed his eyes. "Two new departments? Are they battle units or support?"
"Both," Su Mengtian replied. "Heaven Forging Doctrine will specialize in the art of soul-infused creation. Not merely crafting weapons, but forging destinies. It will unify artifice, spiritual metallurgy, and formation-weaving."
Kai Chan nodded, fingers already tapping. "Then it can work in tandem with our Hall of Echoes. Excellent."
"And Ethereal Inquiry?" asked Yue Mei.
"A research sect, focused on uncovering secrets of the realms, Dream-diving, Karma analysis, Interdimensional cartography, Forbidden yet vital inquiries and researching new technologies."
Director Maerin Delk raised a brow. "That walks the edge of danger."
Su Mengtian met his gaze evenly. "We live on that edge."
Xu Tian, who sat silently behind the council, let out a soft chuckle. "Well said."
Su Mengtian stood.
"I call for open interviews and tests to appoint the first heads of these departments. The candidates will be examined by a mixed panel of Hallmasters, Department Directors, and veteran Elders."
Hallmaster Xuan Le nodded approvingly. "Let us select the stars who will govern this new constellation."
A new era was blooming.
And this was the beginning of its architecture.
Over the next two days, messages were dispatched to all sect levels—outer, inner, elite core—inviting cultivators to apply for the two newly formed departments.
Within a week, over nine hundred applications flooded the State of Records.
Su Mengtian and his council divided the interviews into multiple phases.
Each trial would take place within sacred domains tied to the affinity of each department.
Each department will have 3 trial stages, tailored to test the values and abilities needed in their role.
For Heaven Forging Doctrine Department:
First was the Trial of Resonance,
In this trial candidates must forge a simple weapon using unknown spirit-imbued materials provided on the spot and Their qi must harmonize with the material; the output will be tested for spiritual resonance, durability, and purpose alignment.
Second was the Trial of Essence Fusion,
The candidates are given a spirit fragment from a dying cultivator and a relic core. Their task is to embed the soul fragment into the core without harming either. Tests precision and ethical integrity.
Third was the Trial of Willed Flame,
Inside a flame-tempered illusion, candidates must forge under emotional duress: memories of failure, loss, and shame are projected. Their flame must remain steady. If it flickers, their own heart falters.
Now for Ethereal Inquiry Department:
First was the Trial of Memory Echoes,
In this trial candidates are placed in an ancient chamber. Echoes of past events play out in fragmented illusions. They must discern the true event from fabricated illusions. Tests discernment and intuitive logic.
Second was the Trial of Karmic Threads,
Candidates are handed an artifact with tangled karmic bindings. Their task is to Untangle the karmic fate and identify all past wielders—without severing the thread of destiny.
Third was the Trial of Temperament (Illusion Domain), In this trial candidates is cast into a false life—a completely fabricated lifetime spanning decades. They may become powerful, beloved, or fall into despair. Their challenge is to retain their original identity and remember who they are, resisting temptation and false enlightenment. Success depends on emotional resilience and clarity of self.
Heaven Forging Doctrine candidates would enter the Crucible of Will, a sanctum where Dao-forged materials resisted unworthy hands.
Ethereal Inquiry aspirants would traverse the Veins of the Forgotten, an interdimensional memory vault accessed only through ethereal dreamwalking.
Anticipation surged.
Throughout the Heavenly Spear Alliance, names were whispered. Young prodigies. Reclusive sages. Even rogue craftsmen and voidwalkers returned from exile to present their candidacy.
In two weeks' time, the trials would begin.
Finally, out of all the nine hundred Elderly and Middle-Aged Candidates few were short listed.
For Heaven Forging Doctrine Department head's position:
First candidate was Mu Hengzhi - A stoic blacksmith whose flames are said to burn with ancestral will. Known for crafting relics using bloodline resonance. Former head artisan of the Warshard Guild.
Second was Tang Renshu - A meticulous formation master who can etch micro-array glyphs into falling raindrops. Once part of the Celestial Builders Circle.
Third was Ye Roujin - A soft-spoken but brilliant metal alchemist. Forged spiritual prosthetics after the Nether War. Widely respected for fusing soul essence into ore.
Fourth was Baek Duyun- Thunder-attribute forge master. His tools respond to his qi alone. Has never had a weapon he crafted break in battle.
And finally fifth was Korr Veylan - A one-armed artificer from the borderlands, whose spirit flames are said to carry remnants of void fire. Harsh, unyielding—but fair.
As for The Ethereal Inquiry Department Head's position:
First candidate was Lin Shuoyin- A dreamwalker and spirit linguist. Once solved a century-old mystery by translating a soul's last memory into a song.
Second was Sariel Nomara - Former oracle of the Obscured Moon Temple. Her eye was cursed open; she sees echoes of fate even when blindfolded.
Third was Qing Weilu - Expert in karma-thread detection and anomaly mapping. Claims to have glimpsed fragments of parallel reincarnations.
Fourth was Helan Yrsa- From a clan of soul-readers. Can draw memory-fractures out of inanimate objects and replay history. Wears silence like armor.
And finally fifth was Ishro Vaneth - A scarred interdimensional pathfinder. Lost three of his disciples in a failed realm dive—and seeks redemption through knowledge.
Su Mengtian… was witnessing the forging of the next architects of his divine civilization.